The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-10-06

" the right to demand one in return =
II haven't . flower in my room, !"
he said, In low voice; may ! crave
one OF your roses for my table?"
Zone would be o. little use-you arr
welcome to tho whole bunch. they will
fiji small vase" she answered readi-
ly, and unpinnlng them she placed
them IN his hand with q natural, I'M
concerned bow, Is she turned in the
direction Of her golden-thatched cot.
tage with her dog in her arms.
"Grateful, and generous, and afiec-
tionate," he decided. and pressed the
roses to his lips. That night he wrote
again to his friend:
.Dear Falkner-I have met my
fate. It is no use your coming Tor me;
] shall got my leave extended. She is
enchautingl It is serious this time.
old fellow, 80 don't laugh.
"Yours ever, B. B."
He haunted that lane. Sometimes
he spoke to her over the fence; she
was very gracious to him, but she did
not ask him in.
Once she was walking in the garden
with an elderly man.
"Her father" he told himself.
"What q nica-looking old fellow;
must get hold of him, and then it will
be all right"
He telegraphed to Covent Garden
for q boQuet OF rare exotics to be sent
down to him by parcels post. They
came, and he went and left them at
house himself. with his card attached,
and underneath he wrote: "ln CRATE
full return for the roses" and closed
box once more.
"A neat maid received it from his
hands, and by her "Merci monsieur"
he discovered she was Frenchwom.
an.
He asked no questions and left no
message, not wishing to expose his ig-
norance of even his lady's name.
He walked on, but he was restless,
and returned once more and sat upon
the wall to watch. Surely, his divini-
ty would come out soon. She did,
with the garden hose in her hand and
set to work diligently to water. Sud-
denly she turned it in the captains
direction, and soused HIM through
and through. Then. with a silvery
laugh, quickly checked, she made her
apologies.
"Dear me. Capt Berkeley" she said,
with much apparent concern, .Pm
afraid have sprinkled you little -
''Sprinkled him! He was wet
through; but he vowed it was "noth-
ing" and that he ''liked it," and she
thanked him SO sweetly for the bou.
quet that he was quite happy, only
his happiness was short lived, for she
had q pressing engagement and has
tened indoors at once. He sauntered
to the inn and changed his clothes,
then started for walk. thinking OF her.
A dog-cart was dashlng along the
road, and suddenly q CHEEKY voice
reused him.
'AHallo, Berkeley! Where on earth
have you sprung from? Who could
ever have expected you to turn up in
this quiet corner?" and the speaker
handed the reins to his cockaded
groom, and jumped down to greet his
friend and old brother officer, shaking
him warmly by the hand.
II may well return the co mpliment,
La Coste." laughed Bertram Berkeley
II have never once seen you since you
left us at 'G,b.' two years ago; fancy
me meeting you in this quiet place,
when no quarters used to be gay
enough for YOU"
"Ah! / have sown all my wild oats,
old fellow, and married and settled
down into the bargain; and what
more, / don't regret it."
Tant mieux pour vous! l fear
there are not many such prizes in the
matrimonial market"
HCan't say. I never had bad
opinion Of the sex, as you are aware,
and my wife has raised my estimate
of womankind."
'Lucky mani"
81 echo your sentiment. I suppose
you're still adamant! No one has
made an impression, eh?"
Capt. Berkeley positively flushed I'M
der the bronze, and thoughtfully pull
ed his moustache.
"By Jovel Yor're in for it" laugh
ed Major La Coste. "Well, come and
dine with US tonight, and I will intro.
duce you to my wife, and can tell all
about it over our cigars after dinner. "
"What, you are living here, then?
eyes. We have pretty little box.
Where are you staying? I'll stroll
down and take you back in triumph;
it will be quite treat to hear all the
news of the old regiment"
It'll come with pleasure; I'm put
ting up at the little inn. What time
do you diner"
"Seven, and I'll fetch you at quar-.
ter to, and with a friendly nod, the
major jumped up once more into his
doR-cart.
.'Can I take you anywhere, Berke
Ieyf"
mo, thanks, Til continue my walk, =
and so the friends parted.
Major La Coste arrived with mill
tarv punctuality. and there was q
strange smile upon his handsome. face
and lurking in the depths OF his fine
gray eyes.
Are you ready2" he asked. eve
must not keep dinner waiting-youl
cook is the last person in the world
whom you should Offend"
They chatted briskly as they walked
up the lane.
"Here we are" said La Coste, throw
ing open his gate; ''pretty little place
is it not? But perhaps you may
have seen it before, in your rambles. :
.'You don't live here!" stammere6
his visitor; II thought didn tthinl
l-n
'Of course you didn't, old fellow
come IN and see my wife,"
Without one word, Bertram Berke
ley followed him.
Mechanically he hung up his hat II
the hall, mechanically he went with
him into the room, Of which he fun,
open the door, with q strange feeling
as Of q sleep-walker about him. II
seemed to him he was having some
unpleasant dream, and that he wal
spell bound by it; that he could see
and hear, and feel, but that all power
over himself was denied him.
Geraldine. here is my friend, Capt
Rark Rarkalev. allie " ma to IN